Monday, July 29, 2013

Tutorial: A Beginner's Guide to Painting Wood Trim

Do you like the crisp, clean appearance of white painted trim, doors and windows, but don't know where to start to get that look in your own home? This tutorial will walk you through all the steps you need to take to have a successful outcome in your own home.Note: Read through entire tutorial prior to starting. Tutorial is for painting over stained and varnished existing trim. If you want to paint over already painted trim be sure that your existing trim is painted with a latex (water-based) paint and not an oil-base paint otherwise your new paint will not adhere properly according to these instructions.

SUPPLY LIST:

Premium quality primer. I recommend Kilz Premium Primer

Good quality semi-gloss latex acrylic paint

Medium grit sandpaper

Vacuum

Cleaning rags

Water bucket

White paintable, interior caulk

Painter's tape

1" paint brush

Foam roller with handle

Paint tray for roller

Small artist brush

Small pocket knife or box opener

STEP 1: SAND

Using medium grit sandpaper, sand down all the wood trim and window and door parts that you want to paint. The idea is to scuff up the surface to give the primer something to grab onto. It isn't necessary to remove all the stain, but try to at least break through the varnish.

STEP 2: VACUUM
Vacuum up all the dust created from sanding.

STEP 3: WIPE CLEAN
Gently wipe clean the surface with a wet rag until you no longer see dust on the rag. Be sure not to over saturate the wood. Allow the surface to thoroughly dry.

STEP 4: FILL GAPS
Look for areas with gaps between trim pieces or between the trim and the wall. Using a white, paintable interior caulk, run a bead along the gap. Run your finger along the caulk to push it into the gaps. This is a messy step. Wash off finger(s). Then, using a clean, wet rag, wipe along the caulk to smooth the surface and to remove excess caulk. Allow caulk to properly dry.

It should look like this when you are done.

Note: If you are going to be painting the walls as well, you'l want to do that prior to step 5. STEP 5: TAPE
Using painter's tape, mask off any areas surrounding the trim that you don't want to get paint on. This includes walls, flooring or non-removable hardware.

STEP 6: PRIME
Once all your surfaces are clean and dry, apply one or two coats of primer to the wood. I have medium-colored stain in my home and apply two coats of primer for the best coverage. However, if you are painting over a light wood, you can probably get away with one coat.

STEP 7: PAINT
When primer is dry, apply two coats of semi-gloss, latex paint. Let the first coat dry before applying the second coat.

For tight areas or around non-removable hardware, use a small artist brush.

For doors, I use a 1" brush for insets and foam roller for larger flat areas. This applies for the priming in step 6.

STEP 8: REMOVE TAPE
When paint is completely dry, you can remove the tape. To prevent any paint from being pulled off, score the tape where it meets the trim. Slowly remove the tape and discard.

If there are any areas that need touching up, use the small artist brush.

11 comments:

I love your tutorials. Do you ever tape BEFORE caulking, or are you just really good at caulking? I know that I am not...and I've had a LOT of practice, so I'm not convinced I'm going to get any better. ;) I'm envisioning a lot of water cleanup (and swearing) in my future.....

Sara: Cut your nozzle on your tube of caulk smaller, and use a very narrow bead with a diametre of no more than 2/3rds the width of the space you are filling. Messy caulk work is usually the result of using way too much caulk.

I have the same exact anderson window in my house except I have a half circle about it! Can you show me what the window looked like once you were finished. I have always wanted to paint it just nervous about how it would turn out. Great tutorial.

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